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How Can You Help Protect Source Water US EPA

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4 views

How Can You Help Protect Source Water US EPA

Uploaded by

ramosyahir134
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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An o"icial website of the United States government

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Source Water Protection (SWP)

How Can You Help


Protect Source Water?
Communities, citizen groups, and individuals can take an active role
in protecting their drinking water sources from contamination. The
resources below provide information about source water protection
and steps you can take at the local level to protect your drinking
water.

On this page:

Learn About Source Water Protection


Take Everyday Actions
Volunteer in Your Community
Participate in Source Water Planning at the Community Level

Learn About Source Water


Protection
Learn About Your Drinking Water Source
Your drinking water utility includes information about the drinking
water source in their annual drinking water quality report, also called
a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). A CCR also tells you how to get
a copy of the source water assessment for your drinking water
source. Find your local CCR online.

Learn more about source water assessments, or ask your drinking


water provider if there are any source water protection projects or
groups you can support.

Take Everyday Actions


Use and Dispose of Harmful Materials
Properly
Don't pour hazardous waste down the drain, on the ground, or into
storm sewers. This could contaminate the soil, groundwater, or
nearby surface water.

A number of products used at home contain hazardous or toxic


substances that can contaminate ground or surface waters, such as:

Motor oil
Pesticides
Le!over paints or paint cans
Mothballs
Flea collars
Household cleaners
A number of medicines

EPA's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program has more advice


on how to safely manage and reduce the use of these materials.

Think Twice about Lawn and Garden


Chemicals
Limit the use of pesticides or fertilizers, and always follow the label
directions. Many fertilizers and pesticides contain harmful chemicals
which can travel through the soil and contaminate groundwater or
run o" in stormwater to rivers, streams, and lakes. EPA
evaluates pesticides to ensure that when they are used according to
label directions they will not harm people, non-target species or the
environment.

Properly Maintain Your Septic System


Groundwater can be contaminated by poorly or untreated household
wastewater, which poses dangers to drinking water and to the
environment. Malfunctioning septic systems release bacteria,
viruses, and chemicals to local aquifers and waterways. The average
household septic system should be inspected at least every three
years by a septic service professional. Household septic tanks are
typically pumped every three to five years. Alternative systems with
electrical float switches, pumps, or mechanical components should
be inspected more o!en, generally once a year.

Find more information on the SepticSmart Homeowners webpage.

Dispose of Your Medications Properly


In homes that use septic tanks, prescription and over-the-counter
drugs flushed down the toilet can leach into the ground and seep
into groundwater. In cities and towns where residences are
connected to wastewater treatment plants, prescription and over-
the-counter drugs poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet
can pass through the treatment system and enter rivers and lakes.
These water sources may flow downstream to community drinking
water supplies. Water treatment plants are generally not equipped to
routinely remove medicines.

EPA encourages the public to take advantage of pharmaceutical take-


back collection programs that accept prescription or over-the-
counter drugs, as these programs o"er a safe and environmentally-
conscious way to dispose of unwanted medicines.

Learn more about safe ways to collect and dispose of unwanted


medicines.

Volunteer in Your Community


Find or Start a Group
Find a watershed or wellhead protection organization or a source
water collaborative in your community and volunteer to help. If there
are no active groups, consider starting one. Use the Source Water
Collaborative's How to Collaborate Toolkit to get started.

Join in a Beach, Stream, or Wetland Cleanup


You can make new friends while you help protect source water.

Prepare a Presentation about Your


Watershed for a School or Civic
Organization
Discuss water quality threats, including the dangers of polluted
runo" and ecosystem loss. In your presentation, highlight actions
people can take to protect water quality, such as limiting fertilizer use
and properly maintaining their septic systems.

Organize a Storm Drain Stenciling Project


Stencil a message next to the street drain. This reminds people not to
dump waste into a street drain, which leads to local water sources
such as rivers. Use simple images and words when stenciling to help
make the connection, such as:

Fish
Streams
Lakes
Groundwater
Bays
Ocean"Protect Your Water" logo with the image of a glass and
faucet

You can also use stencils to produce and distribute flyers to your
neighbors. Remind residents that storm drains dump directly
into their local water source.

Put Up Signs
Post signs along the border of your source water protection area to
notify people that any pollution in that area can a"ect the quality of
local drinking water.

Participate in Source Water


Protection at the Community
Level
Identify Community Partners
Water is a shared resource. You can work within your community,
watershed, or neighborhood to protect your drinking water.

Many partners are involved in implementing source water protection


through watershed management strategies involving:

Assessing the potential sources of contamination in the


protection area;
Prioritizing e"orts to reduce potential of impacts; and
Implementing management measures.

Use Your Assessment to Identify and


Prioritize Needed Actions
States have completed the first step of assessing the protection area
for all public water systems. Each assessment includes a delineation,
a contaminant inventory, and susceptibility determination. You may
find that the assessment in your local area is outdated.

Visit the assessment page to learn how it can be updated.

Work with Your Water Utility


Water utilities provide the public with information, safety
monitoring, and emergency response. They have a critical role to
play in promoting source water protection, including:

Advocating for source water protection;


Providing annual drinking water quality reports (i.e., consumer
confidence reports);
Creating opportunities for public participation (such as water
board meetings and public forums);
Educating consumers;
Identifying potential sources of contamination;
Identifying and organizing other stakeholders; and
Working directly with owners and managers of potential sources
of pollution.

Last updated on February 28, 2024

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